Suppose you get a new iPad and it's stolen by a bunch of hooligans who want to destroy it - but can't think of a more creative way to trash it than dropping it and hitting it with a baseball bat - and videoing it to put on YouTube - but can't manage to hold the camera steady on the destruction? Or suppose you are having a beer while watching a video on your new iPad, and you see something funny and spit all of your refreshing beverage out on the shiny ten-inch screen? What will you do?

Fortunately, there is already a third-party insurer who has stepped forth with a solution. For as little as $45 a year, the Worth Ave Group will guarantee your new iPad against many things that AppleCare will not, including theft, screen damage due to dropping (or batting), fire, flood, and even surges from lightning strikes. For a top of the line 64GB iPad with 3G, the premium goes up to $82 a year.

The policy has a $50 deductible, and they will cover any damage above that amount. The company warns, however, that they won't pay you if your iPad just mysteriously disappears (meaning something other than it being stolen), mechanical or electrical breakdown, normal wear or tear, rust, government seizure or nuclear war. I'm thinking you'd have more to worry about if stuff just starts flat disappearing at your house, you're in trouble with the government or al-Qaeda nukes your hometown, but it's good to read the fine print.